Brussels, 15/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - “Working together as global partners” - such is the theme chosen by the EU and United States for their annual summit to be held on 20 June in Washington, attended by President George W. Bush and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The European delegation will be composed of the president-in-office of the European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker, and his minister for foreign affairs, Jean Asselborn, as well as the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, CFSP High Representative Javier Solana, and also Commissioners Benita Ferrero-Waldner (external relations), Günter Verheugen (industrial policy) and Peter Mandelson (trade).
The summit will begin on Monday with a plenary session during which participants will first of all discuss the promotion of growth and transatlantic economic integration. After the summit in June 2004 in Dromoland (Ireland), where it had been agreed that broad consultation would be launched by stakeholders on the possibilities of trade facilitation, investment and transatlantic economic integration, it is foreseen that the Washington Summit will adopt a joint statement in which both sides will set out their intentions, especially when it comes to regulation, trade facilitation, public procurement, services, competition policy and financial markets. “We are following a very concrete and pragmatic approach in favour of better integration of European and American markets, rather than wanting to achieve major projects such as a free trade area”, Commission officials explained on Wednesday. During the second half of 2005, Americans and Europeans should agree on an exact timetable for implementing measures selected, Commission sources say. It is hardly likely that the participants will discuss the Airbus/Boeing affair, which is now in the hands of WTO arbiters (on the other hand, Commissioner Mandelson will discuss the matter with his opposite number, Rob Portman, during a bilateral meeting scheduled for next Friday. Mr Mandelson's spokesperson reiterated on Wednesday that Peter Mandelson was still willing to resume bilateral talks, on condition that the Americans show determination to pursue an “even-handed approach” in negotiations. “At this stage, that does not seem to be the case”, she said). During the plenary session of the summit, environmental issues will also be addressed (including climate change) and also energy.
During the working lunch, both sides will speak of political issues: promotion of democracy, freedom and rule of law, multilateralism, development and humanitarian aid, non-proliferation, fight against terrorism, and transport and border security. They will adopt joint declarations on: - promotion of democracy; - the Middle East; - UN reform; - the fight against terrorism and non-proliferation; - Africa (the declaration will not simply speak of AIDS/HIV but also of EU/US cooperation in regional conflicts in Africa, to support the African Union). Furthermore, the summit may adopt measures to increase cooperation on conflict prevention and crisis response. It is not to be ruled out either that the disagreement over biometric passports may be resolved ahead of or during the summit, which would allow the visa waiver scheme to be kept in place beyond the 26 October deadline, even for the many EU countries that will not be ready with biometric passports (see other article). “We absolutely need this time limit to be extended (…) We trust that there will be good news in the next few days”, Commission sources say.
Commission officials stress that the backdrop to the Washington Summit will be “much more positive” than for previous meetings, when divergence over Iraq created a very strained atmosphere. Since President Bush's visit to Brussels in February, “there has been renewed determination on both sides to rekindle and intensify transatlantic partnership”. This improvement in the climate has already borne fruit in the field of foreign policy, according to Commission officials, who cite by way of example: - Iraq. There is no longer talk of the past but of the future and of reconstruction, and the EU is organising, with Washington, an international conference on support to Iraq, on 22 June in Brussels; - Iran. Despite its reservation of principle, Washington continues to back the EU-3 diplomatic approach to the nuclear programme, and has even withdrawn its veto against opening negotiations for Iran's accession to the WTO; - Sudan. The EU was able to convince Americans that those responsible for crimes committed in Darfur should be taken before the International Criminal Court; - and the EU and the United States managed to coordinate their stances during events in Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon.